TAXONOMIC INTERRELATIONS OF HOLOTHURIANS CUCUMARIA-FRONDOSA AND CAMELLIA-JAPONICA (DENDROCHIROTIDA, CUCUMARIIDAE)

Morphological features, distribution, ecology of Cucumaria frondosa an d C. japonica, some their chemical characters are described, The speci es are well distinguished by specule shape of body wall, structure of introvert, tentacles and ambulacral podia, colour of internal organs, size of ova, chemical structure of triterpene glycosides. The obtained data indicate these species are taxonomically independent. The previo us information that C. japonica is the subspecies of C. frondosa is no t supported.